￼WHY IS EVERYONE TALKING ABOUT PENALTY RATES?

Penalty rates are increased rates of pay for working overtime or unsociable hours.

Life is busy, and weekends are important for Australian workers. Penalty rates compensate people for the time they miss out on spending with their families when they have to work on the weekend.

There are up to 4.5 million workers who rely on penalty rates. Workers like police officers, firefighters, paramedics, nurses, retail workers, hospitality workers, workers in manufacturing, in tourism and many other sectors.

So what's the issue? Penalty rates are being cut because of the Liberals.

The argument is that cafes and shops are closed because penalty rates are too high. But there is almost no evidence to support this. Productivity Commission Executive Manager Ralph Lattimore was asked in Parliament if he shared former Treasurer Joe Hockey’s view that penalty rates are “profit murder for small business” he said the following: